Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo
[email protected]
THE Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has launched a five-year regional project aimed at ending the export of raw critical energy transition minerals and building local value chains that create jobs, drive industrialisation and promote environmental sustainability.
The initiative, titled “Fostering Environmentally and Socially Responsible, Decarbonised, Inclusive and Transformative Value Chains for Energy Transition Minerals in the SADC Region,” was unveiled on Thursday in Lusaka, Zambia.
The project will run from March 2026 to February 2031 in six countries — the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Sadc is endowed with vast reserves of cobalt, lithium, manganese, nickel and platinum group metals, minerals that are critical for batteries, electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies. However, these resources have largely been exported in raw or semi-processed form, limiting the developmental benefits for producing countries.
The new project, supported by Germany’s International Climate Initiative and led by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in partnership with regional stakeholders, seeks to reverse that trend by promoting beneficiation and value addition within the region.
“The SADC region is uniquely positioned to contribute to the global energy transition,” said Permanent Secretary in Zambia’s Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development, Dr Hapenga M Kabeta.
“Our region is significantly endowed with strategic minerals such as copper, cobalt, lithium, manganese, nickel, and rare earth elements.
“We have an opportunity not only to supply raw materials to the world but also to accelerate industrialisation, create jobs, foster innovation, and improve the livelihoods of our citizens.”
Dr Kabeta said while rising global demand presents unprecedented opportunities, the region must address challenges related to beneficiation, environmental and social governance, and the inclusion of local communities, women, youth and persons with disabilities.
Speaking at the launch, Permanent Secretary in Zambia’s Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, Dr Douty Chibamba, stressed that mining development must not come at the expense of environmental protection.
“As we launch this project, I emphasize three priorities: responsible mineral development that protects the environment and safeguards communities; value addition and green industrialisation that creates sustainable jobs; and inclusion of women, youth, local communities, persons with disabilities and civil society organisations in energy transition mineral value chains,” said Dr Chibamba.
The project will support the development of national and regional policy frameworks anchored on strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. It will also strengthen environmental monitoring and regulatory oversight while supporting climate and biodiversity initiatives.
ECA Director for Southern Africa, Ms Eunice Kamwendo, said regional integration would be key to unlocking the full potential of the sector.
“No single country in the region possesses all the inputs required to develop complete value chains for energy transition minerals. Strong regional cooperation and partnerships are therefore essential to realising the full potential of the sector,” said Ms Kamwendo.
The initiative will facilitate linkages between product and service providers, mining companies and processors across borders, drawing on successful buyer-seller models already used in regional trade fairs. It will also empower civil society organisations and local communities to participate meaningfully in mineral governance.
Representing Germany, Ms Verena Stöckigt, Counsellor and Head of Environmental Affairs and Climate Action at the German Embassy in South Africa, reaffirmed her country’s support through the International Climate Initiative.
“The mission of the International Climate Initiative is to promote the energy transition through the development of mineral value chains while ensuring that this is done in an environmentally and socially responsible manner,” said Ms Stöckigt.
She noted that growing global demand for critical minerals, driven by renewable energy technologies, must translate into sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits for host countries.
Project coordinators said the initiative aligns with the Africa Mining Vision, the Africa Green Minerals Strategy and the Sadc Regional Mining Vision. It is also expected to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and the aspirations of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by promoting intra-regional trade in processed minerals and manufactured products.
For Zimbabwe, participation in the project is particularly significant given its abundant lithium, platinum group metals and rare earth deposits. Increased beneficiation could pave the way for lithium refineries, battery component manufacturing and related downstream industries, creating skilled jobs and supporting local enterprise development.
Participants at the Lusaka launch expressed confidence that the initiative will position Sadc as a leading supplier of sustainable energy transition minerals while advancing regional industrialisation and climate resilience.
With global demand for clean energy minerals continuing to surge, regional leaders say the next five years will be crucial in determining whether Sadc captures greater value from its mineral wealth or continues exporting raw resources with limited economic returns.
